Aphonopelma Index

While tarantulas are among the most recognizable spiders in the United States, research regarding their conservation, ecology, and taxonomy has been very limited. More than 50 species, all currently in the genus Aphonopelma, have been described from North America north of Mexico. Aphonopelma taxonomy is problematic with most described species likely representing invalid taxa making accurate species-level identifications nearly impossible.

Detailed distributional information is also lacking for most members of the genus. Several species are still known only from their type locality and nowhere else. A problematic taxonomy coupled with a dearth of distributional data hampers efforts to conserve Aphonopelma species. Like many other invertebrates, tarantulas have received little attention from the conservation community. This blog is dedicated to providing information about this neglected group of spiders.